In 1969 when I was just starting to develop a passion for baseball thanks to my Dad, the Mets fielded one of their most famous teams ever. Anchoring the defense of that team at short was Bud Harrelson. At 5’11” and 160 pounds, he was larger than life for me because of the way he played the game. I chose number 3 for my little league uniform number because of Bud.
Harrelson played with the Mets for thirteen seasons from 1965 to 1977, collecting two all-star berths and a gold glove along the way. He was a gritty defender, seldom ending the game with a clean uniform, and he played the game in an old-school way. Of course, one of his most famous moments was a very old-school play in the 1973 NLCS when he got into a dust-up with a much larger Pete Rose who had slid aggressively into Harrelson to break up a double play.
I don’t want Bud Harrelson to be remembered just for that play though. He was a great glove man in a middle infield for a Mets team that went to the World Series twice in four years. Bud went 54 games without an error in his all-star 1970 season which was a record at the time for shortstops. For all the excellent Mets defenders you can name, Bud with his 13.7 defensive WAR is still tops among all of them.
Bud wasn’t a prolific hitter, but he always seemed to come through in at-bats where his team needed him most whether it was a skillfully placed bunt, working out a walk, stealing a base, or getting a clutch base hit. His career slash line of .236/.327/.288 doesn’t do him justice for the impact he had on his team, but it does point out his lack of power – which made his every-other-year home run a very special occasion.
There are many stories already published out there on Bud’s life and his career in baseball. I’m not here to top them with any more insightful information. I just wanted to pay tribute to a player that helped stoke my passion for baseball when I was a boy and the sport has brought me countless moments of joy since then. Rest in peace, Bud Harrelson.
